"Since we first announced this new program in March of this year, a program designed to wipe out more than $700 million in medical debt, I am extremely pleased to see the program's success thus far in helping so many of our residents in need. These resources will help to eliminate the stress they have been under as they juggle how to pay for crushing hospital bills while keeping the lights on and putting food on the table at the same time."
Warren C. Evans - Wayne County Executive
"With this program, we are doing our part to address the way our national healthcare affordability crisis affects Wayne County residents. Medical debt is a financial anchor on too many families, often forcing them to choose basic everyday needs or being forced to pay medical bills. We are proud to work with Undue Medical Debt to help bring a measure of relief to vulnerable families throughout Wayne County."
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed - Wayne County Health Director & Director of Health, Human, and Veterans Services (HHVS)
Dr. El-Sayed's Senate Testimony on Medical DebtWayne County Medical Debt Relief Program Overview
Wayne County, in partnership with the national nonprofit Undue Medical Debt, has launched an innovative program to help residents overcome the burden of medical debt. With the potential to relieve up to $700 million in medical debt, this program could benefit up to an estimated 200,000 Wayne County residents facing financial hardship. Funded through Wayne County's indigent health fund and pandemic relief dollars, the program aims to reduce the stress and financial strain of medical expenses, freeing residents to focus on their health and well-being.
Eligible residents with medical debt will automatically qualify if they earn at or below 400% of the federal poverty level or if their debt exceeds 5% of their income. Patients cannot apply-Undue Medical Debt works directly with healthcare providers to purchase and forgive qualifying debts. Once finalized, residents will receive a letter or letters confirming that some or all of their medical debt has been erased, enabling them to rebuild their financial lives without the weight of past medical expenses. Undue Medical Debt can only acquire and relieve debts from providers like hospitals who agree to partner on this community benefit initiative.
Through this program, Wayne County continues its commitment to supporting vulnerable residents, improving public health, and promoting financial security.
Learn More about our Partner Undue Medical Debt Here
Every day, Wayne County residents are burdened by the rising cost of healthcare, with medical debts impacting their financial stability and often deterring people from seeking needed medical care. Medical debts can lead to reduced credit scores, wage garnishment, and property liens, adding significant psychological and financial stress. This new debt relief program, created in partnership with Undue Medical Debt, aims to help Wayne County residents achieve financial stability, improve their health, and build brighter futures by wiping away up to $700 million in outstanding medical debt.
No application is required for this program. Undue Medical Debt analyzes hospital debt portfolios to identify qualifying accounts. All eligible debts will be automatically canceled, and beneficiaries will be notified by mail. Wayne County and Undue Medical Debt will only be able to cancel medical debts if hospitals and health systems sell or donate their medical debt portfolios as part of this program.
To be eligible for medical debt relief, beneficiaries must:
Additionally, hospitals that provided the services must agree to sell or donate medical debts to Undue Medical Debt for cancellation through this initiative.
Note: Only debts from providers willing to partner with Undue Medical Debt can be canceled. This means that not all individuals meeting the income or debt criteria will necessarily receive debt relief.
Wayne County and Undue Medical Debt will notify beneficiaries by mail once specific medical debts have been acquired and canceled in a white, Undue branded envelope. Eligible residents can expect a letter confirming their medical debt relief once the county announces a round of debt relief. If you did not receive a letter, it means your debt was not included in this round.
The program is designed to assist individuals four times or below the federal poverty level, or for whom medical debt represents 5% or more of their annual income. The Department of Health and Human Services sets the poverty level annually, which helps nonprofits like Undue Medical Debt assess eligibility based on financial need.
While we understand the burden of medical bills, this program can only erase debts from participating providers and for those who meet the financial criteria. You may want to visit Undue Medical Debt's Resource
Page for further support. Consider connecting with local resources for insurance navigation and financial aid options.
Undue Medical Debt is a trusted 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with Wayne County to relieve qualifying medical debt. Your debt relief letter from Undue Medical Debt is legitimate and serves as a formal receipt of the debt cancellation. You can confirm this by visiting Undue's
FAQ page for further details.
Yes. If you lost your letter, please visit the
Contact page on Undue Medical Debt's website to request a digital copy. The team will assist you in retrieving your documentation.
This can happen occasionally if addresses aren't updated. To correct the issue, please reach out to Undue Medical Debt's
contact team so they can verify the recipient's information and update their database. After that, feel free to destroy the letter.
If you believe the debt canceled was not actually yours, contact Undue Medical Debt through their
website so they can review and verify your account.
Please use your original debt relief letter from Undue Medical Debt as proof that the debt was abolished. If collections continue, contact Undue Medical Debt through their
Contact page. They can work with the provider that sold the debt to resolve the issue.
Start by reaching out to the original creditor listed on your debt relief letter. They will have more information about the services associated with the debt. If you need further assistance, contact Undue Medical Debt via their
website.
A soft inquiry was made on your credit report to determine your eligibility for debt relief. This type of inquiry does not impact your credit score and is not visible to lenders. Your credit history remains private and confidential.
Wayne County has committed $5 million, sourced from the indigent health fund and American Rescue Plan Act dollars, to fund this initiative.
Wayne County is partnering with Undue Medical Debt, a national nonprofit organization (see: www.unduemedicaldebt.org). Undue Medical Debt contacts hospitals and health systems to negotiate purchases or donations of medical debt portfolios, enabling Wayne County to cancel debts for eligible residents. They work with providers to communicate the program's benefits to patients, communities, and the hospitals themselves (see: https://www.unduemedicaldebt.org/healthcare-provider-partnerships).
Wayne County and Undue Medical Debt will notify each qualifying beneficiary that their specific medical debt has been canceled. Debt cancellation does not lead to income tax liabilities for program recipients. Regular program progress reports will be shared with Wayne County.
Any medical provider holding Wayne County residents' medical debt is eligible to partner with the County. Wayne County is working with both larger healthcare systems across the County as well as smaller practices.
Participating hospitals will enter into a Business Associate Agreement and a Non-Disclosure Agreement with Undue Medical Debt to ensure patient information remains confidential. Hospitals will then send patient account data to Undue Medical Debt for analysis. Qualifying accounts may be sold or donated for debt relief. Some hospitals may choose to publicly announce their participation, while others may keep it confidential. In all cases, patients will receive notification of their debt cancellation.
Many providers are already interested in collaborating. Undue Medical Debt professionals will discuss with hospitals the benefits of participating, including community goodwill and financial relief for patients. Numerous hospitals across the United States have recognized these benefits and have successfully partnered with Undue Medical Debt.
The program focuses on patient accounts between 18 months and 7+ years old, beyond the billing and collections cycle. Although collection activities may have stopped on some of this debt, the outstanding balances still impact Wayne County residents economically. By selling medical debt for cancellation, hospitals may improve community relations while reducing the administrative burden of older debt accounts.
Hospitals need to share patient account data files, including patient demographics, insurance status, dates of service, outstanding balances, and other information to identify qualifying individuals. All data shared will comply with HIPAA standards. Diagnoses codes and other private health information is not shared.
Undue Medical Debt uses a standard pricing model reflecting the fair market value of medical debt. Pricing varies based on account age, with older accounts priced lower. Generally, qualifying medical debt will be purchased for pennies on the dollar of the debt's face value.
